


One Step at a Time

by Procrastination_is_my_specialty



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Pining, Protective Sokka (Avatar), Protective Zuko (Avatar), Sick Sokka (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:22:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26539537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Procrastination_is_my_specialty/pseuds/Procrastination_is_my_specialty
Summary: An unsuspected attack from the Dai Li splits the group, leaving Sokka and Zuko stranded in an unfamiliar and hostile territory. One is beset with an injury, while the other is plagued by a mysterious illness. With the Dai Li soldiers constantly hot on their trail, Zuko and Sokka struggle to survive.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 93





	One Step at a Time

**Author's Note:**

> Another story that I found just chilling in my google drive! I completely forgot about this until now, and I actually really like the premise, so I will be continuing this alongside my other unfinished work <3

“Zuko, I need you to hold still or else I’m gonna have to knock you out instead.”

Zuko, despite the pain he’s in, manages to scoff at the empty threat. “I’d like to see you try, ponytail.” However, the cocky attitude quickly disappears when Sokka presses harder against the wound on his leg.

He attempts to twist away from the stinging pain but Sokka’s hold remains firm. “Hold still” he repeats before rolling Zuko’s pant leg higher up his thigh. The wound is not bleeding as much anymore, but Sokka wants the blood flow to be reduced further before he continues with the next procedure.

Unlike his sister, he’s not as knowledgeable or experienced about providing medical care, especially to the extent of what he’s about to do next. He turns his head away from the gash on Zuko’s leg to glance at the suturing kit, feeling more and more hesitant about this plan the longer he stares at the sharp scalpel and sutures encased in the plastic container.

Zuko must have seen his troubled expression because he suddenly looks antsy himself. “Please tell me you’ve done this before...”

Sokka’s nose twitches, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach, because he has _never_ actually stitched a wound closed before. His hands are beginning to shake at just the mere thought of it.

He swallows nervously before answering. “I haven’t … but I’ve seen my sister do it before.”

He doesn’t add the fact that he has only ever seen her do it _once,_ and even then, he remembers looking away every time his sister poked into the person’s skin with that dreadful hooked needle. Truth be told, he’s not sure how much he remembers from that experience. But he figures, this would be a really bad time to let Zuko know this. So he wisely keeps his mouth shut.

Zuko shakes his head and leans against the wall of the cave, looking peeved and tense. “Unbelievable …” he sighs.

“Well, if you have another plan in mind, I’m all ears. Until then, I’m not gonna wait around until your open wound gets infected” he snarls.

Here he is willing to get his hands dirty and actually do something about their situation, and this is the thanks he gets in return? _The absolute nerve of this guy_. It’s not like stitching a laceration closed is how he wants to spend his afternoon, but Sokka has enough sense to know that it must be done. The more exposed the wound is to their surroundings, the higher the risk that an infection will develop. 

They glare at each other for a minute or two, until Zuko finally yields. “Fine” he snaps. “Just try not to amputate my whole leg off.”

Sokka ignores the comment; already used to Zuko’s theatrics and his need to constantly overdramatize everything. He instead focuses on his task at hand. He straightens out Zuko’s legs and clambers on top of them, making sure to stabilize the wounded leg with his hands.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Zuko shrieks, attempting to pull away from their close proximity.

Sokka rolls his eyes before reaching out to grab the suturing kit from the side. “Making sure that you don’t twist and turn while I’m stitching up your wound. I really don’t want to add more damage to your muscles and tissues.”

Zuko huffs out an irritated breath. “You have no experience in this … you’re going to end up damaging it regardless.”

Sokka grabs hold of the suture and pulls the needle through it, choosing to ignore Zuko’s remark once again. He ties the knot, making sure it’s tight and secure, the same way he has seen Katara do it. He then glances back down at the wound, analyzing it one more time.

It’s a long, horizontal gash, just above Zuko’s left knee. It’s not particularly deep and has almost stopped bleeding entirely, but Sokka’s not worried about the wound itself; he knows Zuko could survive much worse. He is more worried about the wound getting infected. Something that can be deadly, since they’re currently lacking in resources and supplies.

The only things they have on them currently are the things that are inside of Sokka’s satchel. And as far as Sokka knows, there’s not much in there to begin with. He only has the suturing kit because Katara put it in his bag after seeing that her own bag was too full. It annoyed him before- the constant clanking of the medical instruments as he walked, but now, it just might save them a whole lot of pain and trouble.

He grips the suture tightly in his hand, mentally preparing himself before glancing back up at Zuko. They’re sitting close together, noses almost touching due to Sokka’s perch on Zuko’s legs. From this close, he could see the barely hidden fear and trepidation in his eyes. He wraps his free hand behind Zuko’s neck, gazing seriously into the golden orbs.

“Try not to make any noise Zuko, they might still be out there looking for us” he advices.

Sokka then pulls Zuko’s head forward until its bent down and resting against his right shoulder. “If you need to scream or cry, try to stifle the noise on my shoulder okay?” He feels Zuko nod against him, slowly and unsure and Sokka softens.

“It’ll be okay Zuko, I’ll be quick” he reassures. He then massages Zuko’s nape comfortingly before finally starting the procedure.

Shaky fingers push the needle through Zuko’s skin, just above the wound, and Sokka nearly flinches at the pained grunt that comes out of Zuko. Working quickly, he pushes the needle until it comes out on the other side of the wound and pulls the thread through. He ties an overhand knot with two loops and tightens the thread until the tissues around the wound begin to touch.

It must have been painful with the way Zuko practically grinds his forehead against his shoulder. But it has to be done. Sokka apologizes profusely and gives him a chance to breathe and collect himself before continuing. He moves the needle a quarter-inch to the right of his first knot and repeats the whole process again. Each pained noise from Zuko, slashing at his heart.

His fingers continue to shake and sweat has begun dripping from his forehead into his eyes, occasionally clouding his vision. But regardless, his hands move diligently as he continues with the operation, making sure that all of the knots are tightly closed and lined up as evenly as he could manage.

By the time Sokka finishes, Zuko is pale and shaking and Sokka’s voice is hoarse from the continuous apologies and reassurances he uttered throughout the process. It probably didn’t take long, since Sokka only ended up stitching six knots throughout the wound, but it felt like hours for Sokka and it must have felt like an eternity for Zuko.

At some point, Zuko’s hands have grabbed on to his waist, as if grounding himself and Sokka notices that he has yet to let go. He taps at Zuko’s clenched fists with his own hand, indicating for Zuko to release his hold. He still needs to sterilize and bandage the wound until they can call it a day.

But Zuko shakes his head from where it’s still pressed heavily against his shoulder. “Just give me five minutes Sokka .. .please” Zuko pleads quietly, voice sounding so weak and tired that Sokka’s heart further shatters into pieces. As annoying as Zuko can be, he never wants to intentionally cause him harm and pain like this.

Sokka gently wraps an arm around Zuko’s shoulders to give him a tight, reassuring squeeze before reaching over to rub his hand up and down his back soothingly. “I’m so sorry Zuko.”

He smiles sadly when Zuko practically melts into his touch, nose nuzzling into the junction between his neck and shoulder. It’s a testament to how painful the ordeal must have been for the usually cold and detached Zuko to be acting this way now. Feeling even worse than before, Sokka rests his other hand behind Zuko’s head, massaging his fingertips gently along his scalp with the hopes of providing more comfort.

He stays that way until he feels the tension around Zuko’s shoulder gradually decrease and the hold around his waist finally loosens. Zuko slowly uncurls himself away from him to once again lean his back against the wall. He’s still shaking and panting, but at least he no longer looks pale and on the verge of passing out. 

Sokka reaches forward to push the damp fringe away from Zuko’s forehead, cringing slightly at the feel of the sweaty skin under his hand. “You ready?” he asks.

Zuko steels himself with a steadying breath before nodding; Sokka also doing the same. He reaches into the kit and pulls out a roll of bandage and a small flask of alcohol. Zuko hisses when the alcohol makes contact with his wound and Sokka lets him grab on to his wrist even though it’s crushing and will surely bruise. “I’m so sorry Zuko” he repeats. “But we have to make sure its properly disinfected.”

Once it has dried, he gently, but tightly wraps the wound up. He first starts at Zuko’s thigh and ends just above his knee to make sure that the whole wound is covered and protected. He wraps the bandage around diagonally in a crisscross pattern, making sure that they’re overlapping a bit so that it’s applying even pressure over the wound.

Satisfied, he leans back and regards Zuko, whose pain-filled eyes are staring at him, occasionally blinking lethargically. Sokka gives him a soothing smile before once again running his hand through the onyx hair.

“It’s done Zuko, it’s over… you did well.”

Sokka lets Zuko rest and get his bearings while he begins riffling through his satchel, trying to look for anything else in there that might help increase their chances of survival.

He manages to find a handful of protein bars, a small, tattered blanket, a hunting knife and a canteen currently full of water. It’s not much but it’s better than nothing.

“How do you even fit all of that in there?” Zuko asks from where he’s sitting, already regaining back some of his strength and composure. 

Sokka ignores the question in favor of creating a plan in his mind. They don’t have a lot of protein bars, but each one is worth nearly a thousand calories each. It’s not much but it should be enough. They really won’t be in any danger of starvation, even if they only eat one of it a day. Besides, Sokka’s certain there has to be some fruits and vegetation around here that they can eat as well. He would have to check on that later.

He’s not worried about water either. The cave that they’re taking shelter in happens to be right next to a particularly large stream of what he assumes is fresh water. Even if it’s not completely clean, they can just boil any impurities away. Which makes him feel grateful that he’s stuck with a literal walking matchstick. Zuko might not be the best companion, with his tendency to gripe and grumble, but his fire-bending abilities are definitely helpful for situations like this. Everyone knows that fire is essential for survival.

Speaking of which; he gets up with a groan, stretching out his legs for a bit before grabbing the knife and pocketing it.

“Where are you going?” Zuko asks, fingers gently picking at the edges of the bandaged leg.

Sokka grabs the threadbare blanket and drapes it over Zuko’s torso, then kneels down to tap at the pale hands before the idiot causes more damage to the wound.

“I need to grab some sticks and leaves so that we can start a fire” he explains. It’s already starting to go dark as the sun begins to set. They don’t know what kind of creatures inhabit this island and he is not willing to find out in the absence of sunlight.

Zuko’s eyes narrow and his mouth twists, clearly not on board with the idea. He watches in exasperation as Zuko shakily got on his feet; heavily leaning his hand against the walls of the cave in an attempt to maintain his balance. The blanket slides off of him and lands on the ground with a soft thump.

“What are you doing?” Sokka asks, automatically reaching forward to support the boy. The last thing they need is for his wound to reopen or start bleeding again. They’re already running low on medical supplies as it is.

“Yeah, no … you’re not going out there by yourself, idiot” Zuko grumbles.

Sokka scoffs. “You’re gonna accompany me? With your sliced up leg? Zuko, I’m sorry but you’re just going to get in the way and cause more trouble for me.”

Sokka winces slightly at the cruel words he chose, but they seem to do the trick as Zuko falters slightly. A frown once again appearing on his face as he rethinks over his options. Sokka begins to think that he might have won this one, but Zuko only continues taking small, shuffled steps forward. Realizing that he’s not stopping, Sokka accepts his fate and begrudgingly supports Zuko on the side, wondering what the idiot is planning now.

At Sokka’s confused look, Zuko points a finger towards the entrance of the cave. “Set me down there so I can at least keep an eye out for you” he orders.

Sokka sighs. “Zuko-

“If the Dai Li swarms you the same way they swarmed our group earlier, you’re dead. Even with all of us fighting, they still managed to injure me and drive Katara, Aang and Toph away. You won’t stand a chance if they catch you by yourself” he reasons.

Sokka groans, hating it when Zuko is actually being rational and sensible for once. As much as it pains and embarrasses him to hear, Zuko is right. There’s a lot of them, probably around thirty- maybe even forty. Their group was taken completely by surprise when the Dai Li attacked, using their overwhelming number to completely overpower them. He remembers Toph and Katara struggling against the soldiers; eventually being forced to flee on Appa… even Aang- the literal Avatar, was forced to do the same.

Zuko’s right, he wouldn’t stand a chance by himself. He would get wrecked- absolutely demolished.

For this reason, Sokka helps Zuko walk the rest of the way with little to no complaints. He does comment on Zuko’s hefty weight once, just because his shoulders feel like it’s going to pop off from having Zuko leaning against him as they slowly walk towards the mouth of the cave. He’s surprisingly heavy, and he voices this thought to Zuko who insists that it’s because of his muscles.

Sokka believes that it’s from all of the ramen he ingested for breakfast and against his better judgement, he also shares this thought to Zuko, which earns him a jab to the ribs almost immediately. “You’re such an idiot” Zuko grumbles. But even the pain on his side isn’t enough to wipe the satisfied smirk on Sokka’s face.

Once they reach the entrance of the cave, he sets Zuko down so that he’s leaning against the rough and callous wall. Satisfied that he can see their surroundings easily from his position, Zuko nods his head at Sokka, gesturing for him to get going and reminding him once more to stay close and within sight.

When they first stumbled into their current hide-out, Sokka had no time to inspect and view their surroundings. He was too busy trying to keep them moving; one foot in front of the other, while he supported the injured Zuko from the side, all the while keeping an eye out to make sure that the Dai Li soldiers were no longer following them. They didn’t even see the cave initially. It was concealed by large trees and even larger bluffs. They more or less stumbled into it after sliding down a particularly steep slope, before literally crash landing in front of the entrance of the cave. 

Now, having the chance to look at where they ended up, Sokka can see that they got extremely lucky. The rock-shelter they are taking refuge in is a shallow cave-like opening at the base of a rocky cliff. The cave itself is not particularly deep or large, however, the cliff above them provides a large overhanging outer face that helps further hide them.

Even if that’s not enough to properly conceal them, the cave looks out to another bluff; specifically, the one that they accidentally stumbled down from that led them to their hide-out in the first place. The overhang on top of their cave nearly touches the side of the opposing bluff. So if the Dai Li are still searching up on the higher grounds, him and Zuko will not be seen unless the soldiers literally fall down from the bluff, slide past the overhang and land unceremoniously in front of the cave, the same way that they did.

To his left, there’s that wide stream he mentioned earlier. It curves gently through the large trees surrounding them, and it springs over the large, glistening rocks in its way. He narrows his eyes as he gazes into the water and nearly squawks in surprise when he sees a bunch of catfish gently swimming around in the water.

They’re terrifyingly huge; almost triple the size of what he would see at home. And they’re grotesque looking too; their whiskers have suctions at the end, resembling tentacles, and Sokka can see that their fins are lined with sharp bristles. 

The shocking sight makes him question, for what seems to be the tenth time in just a few hours, what kind of place they ended up in.

As gross as the fish looks though, he’s glad they’re there. Once they end up running out of protein bars, he can just try catching _one_ fish. That would last them for weeks considering the size of the monstrosity.

Satisfied with that plan, he turns to his right and sees large trees; their tree trunks wide and dark, nearly black in color with vertical stripes of burgundy and gold. Their gnarled roots dip into and out of the ground and their thick branches twist up and disappear into the sky. The undergrowth beneath is thick and dense, further intensified by large clumps of bushes.

It looks surreal … as if everything is magnified in size. He wonders, yet again, where they are exactly and what island they ended up crashing into. It must be a small and isolated island- one that is inhabited or at the very least unexplored, since he’s never read about trees being the size of skyscrapers or let alone having such odd patterns or colors before. Not to mention those gargantuan fish that looks more like beastly creatures.

Even the bushes are large and strange looking. The tips are coated in some white dust, and the red berries he sees growing from them are riddled by glistening specks. They look delicious though, and he makes a mental note of it in his head. Aside from the fish, they have another back up food available … assuming that it’s not poisonous or anything.

It’s quite fascinating really- being in such an alien looking environment. It gives him slight comfort knowing that the Dai Li’s wouldn’t know how to navigate through this jungle either. At the very least the soldiers will be struggling as much as they are. Him and Zuko are lucky to have found such a convenient place to hunker down in; it would give them the chance to rest and recuperate in the meantime. He hopes that the soldiers haven’t been as lucky and are still exposed to the jungle’s strange and foreign elements.

“Oi, are you going to get started, or are you just going to stand there and ogle the whole time?”

Sokka flinches and glares at Zuko. “I’m not _ogling_ , I’m surveying our surroundings dumbass”

Zuko just shrugs, an unamused frown once again etched on to his face. “Well, the clock’s ticking” he snaps.

Sokka huffs before sauntering closer to where the large trees are at. The guy is annoying as all hell. Always crude for no reason, always ready to mouth off, always with that frown on his face. Perhaps his sister is right to dislike him; the guy can be such a tool.

He goes around picking up dried leaves and twigs, occasionally stopping and scanning his surroundings to make sure that no Dai Li soldiers are sneaking around nearby.

Due to the large, and gigantic scale of everything around them, the leaves are the size of his palms, and the ‘twigs’, if he can even call them that, are nearly as wide as his arm, almost resembling thick logs instead.

He stills when he feels eyes on him, and he glances back towards the cave to see that Zuko, just as he promised, is staring and observing him as he walks around. A little bit of his previous anger and annoyance gives way to something akin to acknowledgement and appreciation. As childish as it sounds, he does feel safer knowing that Zuko is keeping a close eye on him. 

Once he has accumulated an armful of leaves and twigs, he makes his way back to the cave. It’s annoyingly humid in this environment, and despite only walking around for ten minutes, the back of Sokka’s tunic is already soaked with sweat.

Sokka helps Zuko hobble his way to the back of the cave by offering a shoulder for him to grab on to. They walk awfully slow due to Zuko’s injury, and Sokka knows that it must be bothering Zuko to be reliant on someone every time he has to get up and walk. He could see it in Zuko’s ruddy cheeks and the slight pink tinge around his ears every time he reaches out to lend a helping hand. If he has some time tomorrow, Sokka will try to make a crutch or even just a cane to help Zuko walk better.

Upon reaching the end of the cave, Sokka help Zuko slide down against the wall until he’s seated on the ground. He dumps all the stuff from his arms and begins working on a campfire.

He places all of the dried-up leaves in a stack in the middle and creates a tepee structure around it using the log-sized twigs. Seeing that he has some extra left, he creates another layer of twigs around the teepee structure, hoping that it would provide more stability. Zuko ignites it a second later with a quick swipe of his hand.

Sokka plops down next to Zuko and watches the fire quickly engulf the leaves, swallowing it in its fiery hold before slowly starting to ignite the wood surrounding it. He brings his knees to his chest as he gets lost in his thoughts. His mind quickly filling with worry about Katara, Aang and Toph; wondering if they were able to get away from the Dai Li or if they even survived at all.

It was meant to be a simple trip. Just a quick visit to the nearest city to procure additional weapons and food. They didn’t even take long; they left at sunrise and were already on their way back to the Western Temple by noon, leisurely sitting on Appa’s saddle as the bison flew them through the skies. The attack was sudden and disorienting; the way the airship ascended on them so quickly and the way so many Dai Li soldiers came pouring out to attack. They were subdued almost immediately.

Appa barely managed to catch himself before they crash landed on to the nearest island he could find; which is the one they’re currently stranded in. Despite Appa’s best efforts, the momentum and the turbulent landing threw him and Zuko far from the rest, and the Dai Li made sure that their group remained separated. 

Him and Zuko were chased off by nearly a dozen soldiers while Katara, Toph and Aang were forced to stay and fight the rest. He remembers seeing them hold off the soldiers for a while, but eventually the three began to retreat back on Appa before the big bison finally took flight.

That’s the last thing he saw of them before him and Zuko had to refocus their attention on their own survival. The soldiers were hot on their trail, and Zuko managed to fend them off for a while, but they were skilled fighters and Zuko was injured in the process. He should have known Azula would pick only the best soldiers to work for her. Sokka had to practically drag Zuko through the dense forest until they somehow managed to get away and stumbled into their current cover.

He swipes a weary hand down his face, feeling extremely guilty, tired and stressed about the whole ordeal. He wants to believe that the rest of the group got away, but there had been so many soldiers. Even if they did get away, what if they sustained injuries like Zuko did. Katara doesn’t have a suturing kit … did she even bring her bag? Or did she leave it back at the Western temple?

Assuming that Katara, Toph and Aang did manage to get away unscathed, how would they even find him and Zuko. Even if it’s a small island, the probability of the group finding and rescuing them is still slim to none. There are too many trees, too many mountains and cliffs … it would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

That’s also assuming that the soldiers don’t find them first. Sokka nibbles on his bottom lip as fear and unease begins to creep in. He grips his knees tighter against his chest.

He nearly jumps out of his skin when something taps at his foot. He glances at the source of his panic and calms down a bit when he sees that it’s just Zuko’s hand.

“I- you shouldn’t worry about them too much.” He starts. And Sokka’s mouth opens, ready to reprimand Zuko because that’s his sister … those are his friends. But Zuko quickly amends his words, stuttering slightly in his haste and panic.

“No- no, that’s not- … I meant that Toph, Katara and Aang are capable. If the two of us managed to get away, then they surely did as well.”

To his surprise, Zuko’s hand slowly and hesitantly moves from his foot up to his knee, patting it gently and comfortingly.

“Katara and Toph are one of the strongest benders I have ever come across, and plus, Aang is literally the Avatar. I’m sure they’re in a much better shape than we are.”

Sokka stares into the gentle eyes for a ridiculous amount of time before he comes to the realization that Zuko is attempting to calm him down. A whispered “yeah” is all he manages because Zuko looks good like this- not as intimidating as he usually does, but softer, more approachable.

Sokka’s eyes remain on him for a little bit longer, before he finally averts his gaze back towards the flame. The warmth that washes over him no longer feels like it’s coming from the fire itself, but it feels just as comforting and blissful.

It remains quiet for a while; only the occasional sound of soft crackling from the fire breaks the silence that now envelops them. But to his surprise, Sokka doesn’t find the silence stifling or awkward like he usually does. It’s relaxing and pleasant and he finds his head drooping further into his knees and his eyelids closing against his will as he begins to nod off. 

“-nk you”

The soft voice breaks his reverie and he sluggishly turns his head towards Zuko from where it’s still resting heavily on his knees. “Sorry? I couldn’t hear you” he murmurs sleepily.

Zuko looks flustered, looking anywhere but at Sokka; golden eyes flitting to the fire, then to the floor. Zuko’s fingers are once again picking at the bandage on his thigh and Sokka would have chastised him from doing so, but he suddenly feels so exhausted.

“I said, thank you” Zuko expresses, eyes still not meeting Sokka’s. He then gestures at his bandaged leg, “for taking care of the wound I mean.”

“Of course” Sokka says with a smile. “I’m expecting a full payment by the end of the month though. Payment options include cash, gold coin or tentacle soup” he jeers drowsily.

Zuko scoffs and calls him an idiot, but the laugh that follows afterwards is enough for Sokka to let the insult go for now.

His head continues to rest against his knees as he zones out; eyes losing focus and mind drifting far away. He suddenly feels so tired and achy and he figures that the eventful day is finally catching up to him. Fighting against those damn Dai Li soldiers left him with bruises and small abrasions all over his body, and his muscles ache from having Zuko’s weight draped all over him as they made their escape through the thick and dense forest.

“-at about you?” Zuko’s voice breaks through the silence yet again, softly reverberating against the walls of the cave.

Sokka makes a confused noise, tilting his head slightly, so he can give his full attention back to Zuko.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” Zuko clarifies, eyes suddenly serious and scrutinizing.

The cut on his arm flares in response, as if recognizing the fact that it’s being talked about. But Sokka decides to say nothing about it. He shakes his head no and even gives a comforting smile to Zuko.

The cut is tiny; insignificant amidst everything that they have gone through for today. They threw something at him as they were running away; a knife? Or maybe a dart? But whatever it was, it only grazed him on the arm, just a few inches below his left shoulder. The cut stopped bleeding almost immediately and it hasn’t really given him much trouble since, so he just completely forgot about it until now.

Besides, his injury- if he can even call it that, is nothing compared to the gash that Zuko got on his leg.

_Speaking of which …._

Sokka inspects Zuko closer, scanning his face and then his leg to see if anything is amiss. 

Zuko looks just as tired and exhausted as he feels, but other than that he’s definitely looking better than he did before. However, Sokka knows he lost quite a lot of blood from that dreaded wound, and he has got to be feeling the effects of it right about now. Zuko is most likely just putting an act, too stubborn and too prideful to admit defeat and weakness.

Sokka sighs, then straightens his back having made up his mind. He drinks a mouthful of water, letting the cold, refreshing liquid chase some of his sleepiness away. He then grabs the blanket and once again wraps it around Zuko’s shoulder like he did earlier.

“What are you doing?” Zuko asks, attempting to push the blanket off of him, but Sokka only drapes it more snugly over him in return.

“Sleep” he orders. “You need to rest so that your wound can heal well.”

Zuko looks like he’s about to protest, but Sokka cuts him off quickly. “I’ll keep watch for tonight, don’t worry” Sokka reassures, once again gulping down water to get rid of the remaining exhaustion from his mind and body.

Zuko must have felt even more tired than he initially suspected, because not even a second later and the fire-bender is out like a light, still sitting upright with his back and head leaning against the wall behind him. Chuckling to himself, Sokka reaches over to double check the bandage before tucking the blanket tighter against Zuko’s body.

The movement causes the cut on his arm to throb slightly and he feels warmth emanate from it. He pulls his sleeve up to inspect the cut, expecting it to have been reopened but to his surprise, it’s completely clear of any blood. Thinking nothing much of it, he rolls his sleeve down until it covers the cut once again, before situating himself next to Zuko.

Sokka forces himself to stay alert and vigilant despite the lingering fatigue that continues to shroud over him. If he slacks off for even a second, Zuko’s life could be in danger, and that would be disastrous to their plans.

They have three more weeks until the comet arrives and Aang hasn’t even learned to properly bend fire yet. He needs to make sure that Zuko stays alive until the rest of the group- assuming that they escaped- manages to rescue them somehow. If anything happens to Zuko here, Aang wouldn’t be able to master fire-bending nor have control over the Avatar state; they would undoubtedly lose the war.

Knowing what is at stake, Sokka grasps the small hunting knife in his hand, fully determined to stay awake and keep watch over Zuko for the rest of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading and please comment your thoughts, opinions or ideas down below! I always love reading through them! Also, constructive feedback is VERY much appreciated, so feel free to let me know what I could improve <333


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